Ireland moving steadily on digital initiatives with 2.3M verified MyGovID accounts

Ireland is making good progress on digital transformation, according to the 2023 progress report on the implementation of the Digital Ireland Framework. The 2022 document, Harnessing Digital, outlines Ireland’s commitment to being among Europe’s leaders in digitization of the economy and society across private and public services. A year in, the government has posted 2.3 million verified MyGovID accounts and created an AI Advisory Council, among other moves to push digital transformation forward.

Support for enterprise is among the framework’s pillars, and the AI council, chaired by AI Ambassador Dr. Patricia Scanlon, brings together experts from the private sector with academics and lawmakers in the technology and security spaces to provide guidance on AI-related policy to the government. The digital transformation of business – the first of four “Dimensions” in the framework – also prompted the creation of a Digital Portal to support on matters related to digitization, and further disbursement of the €85 million (roughly US$92 million) Digital Transition Fund, with plans to expand eligibility for funding to more businesses in 2024.

Dimension 4 of the framework, the digitalization of public services, has set a target of having 80- percent of eligible citizens using MyGovID by 2030. MyGovID provides a single digital identity for all government bodies in Ireland, using Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory. Registration requires the submission of a biometric facial image. As of October 2023, 2.3 million citizens had registered, putting the program on pace to achieve its goals.

Life events portal to launch with driving license and birth certificate services

With more on the progress report, an article in ComputerWeekly.com says the government is also developing a “life events portal” for services related to key identity documents. Driver’s licenses and birth certificates will be the first services to launch. The piece quotes Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who says the digital portal “will make it easier for people to engage with a range of public services for important life events such as registering a birth or death.”

Also as part of Dimension 4, Ireland is developing an EU-compatible digital wallet, a new digital healthcare roadmap and a commitment to robust digital regulation and online safety, with specific reference to the EU’s GDPR and AI Act.

“In the current context of an increasingly complex digital regulatory landscape,” reads the progress report, “with significant new EU regulations emerging, along with the rapid pace of technological development, particularly in the area of AI, Ireland’s strong commitment to effective enforcement is particularly pertinent.”

Article Topics

digital economy  |  digital government  |  digital identity  |  Ireland  |  myGovID  |  single sign-on